‘I have little to do with Kaizer Chiefs’ trophy drought’: Cavin Johnson

Kaizer Chiefs caretaker coach Cavin Johnson has implied it would be unfair to bring up his name in the conversation about the club’s prolonged trophy drought and struggles.

Chiefs, who last won a trophy when they were crowned league champions in the 2014-15 season under Stuart Baxter, hit a new low when they were dumped out of the Nedbank Cup by second-tier side Milford in the first round at FNB Stadium on Sunday.

The 5-4 penalty shoot-out defeat means the trophy drought for Amakhosi, who are battling in sixth place in the DStv Premiership, will be extended to nine seasons.

Johnson, who replaced Molefi Ntseki on a caretaker basis in October, suggested it would be unjust to identify him as contributing to the failure to win trophies at Naturena. Johnson initially joined Chiefs as head of academy in September last year.

“As a coach now, do I have to take nine years on my shoulders? That’s a lot of years,” the caretaker coach said.

“We have to do proper inspection on what we have to do to make it a better season; to finish the season on a high, so that we can show the people and the public that we are building.”

While he is an interim coach, Johnson is the eighth boss to be hired to the hot seat at Chiefs since they won their last trophy. Johnson’s temporary tenure at Naturena was preceded by the tenures of Steve Komphela, Giovanni Solinas, Ernst Middendorp, Gavin Hunt, Baxter (for a second stint), Arthur Zwane and Ntseki.

A former assistant to Pitso Mosimane at Al Ahly, Johnson still thinks losing to Milford, who are one point away from relegation in the Motsepe Foundation Championship, will not damage his reputation as a coach who has done well in the past. One of Johnson’s highlights as a coach was guiding unfancied Platinum Stars to second place in the league in the 2012-13 season.

“I’ve lost other games like this. I don’t think it will damage my reputation when you see the way the team played [dominating Milford but failing to profit from chances].

“I’d have said my reputation was going to be damaged if we didn’t attack and we didn’t attempt to score goals. If we made tactical and technical blunders maybe my reputation was going to be at stake but I think my reputation is still intact.”

Edson Castillo is the only Chiefs player who missed his penalty shoot-out spot-kick in a game where Ranga Chivaviro could not convert from the spot in extra time, forcing the game to go to penalties.

Chiefs hit the post twice and missed many chances during normal time while Milford goalkeeper Siphamandla Hleza made some top-class saves, including stopping Chivaviro's penalty. The keeper also hit the winning kick in the shoot-out.

Sowetan